Birthday dinner gyukatsu and warm-pot rice for 3: Ichigyu Sinnonhyeon

⏰ Business days and hours 11:00-21:30 (Break time 15:00-17:00) Last order 20:30 🅿️ Nearby paid parking Le Meridien 2nd Parking Lot 615-4 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

A gyukatsu spot that's great for meeting up as three near Sinnonhyeon Station

We'd planned to meet up since early August, and since everyone was coming from different areas, Gangnam felt like the perfect middle ground. While debating between meat, Western, or Chinese food, I — a certified pork cutlet lover — got a craving for gyukatsu. So we headed to Ichigyu, known as a Sinnonhyeon local favorite, haha.

Walking up the hill behind the CGV near Sinnonhyeon Station and turning into the alley, you'll spot a big banner with food photos and a Japanese-style sign reading 'Ichigyu' — easy to find. There were also menu photos posted at the entrance, so it was nice to browse what they had while waiting to get in 😊

There were plenty of diners already inside when I visited, so you could tell it's a popular spot in the area 👍 We hadn't made a reservation but still got seated fairly quickly (ugh, I was so hungry).

The restaurant vibe and how to order

Stepping inside, I felt the warm wood-toned atmosphere of a cozy Japanese home-style restaurant haha.

You can order quickly by scanning the QR code attached to the table.

What the three of us ordered

Since it was three of us at the table, we ordered three things total:

• Ichigyu gyukatsu (2 servings)
• Japanese-style curry
• Kirin draft beer x3

That's what we went with — so excited!

It was my friend's birthday, so we started with a Kirin beer toast first 🍻🍺🍻 Happy birthday... celebrated hard 😎

When I saw that you could enjoy the gyukatsu with Isigny butter, a rich-flavored butter I love, I chose the Ichigyu gyukatsu without a second thought 🫣

How the Ichigyu gyukatsu tasted

After waiting and waiting, the gyukatsu finally arrived 🍴 Sliced into thick pieces, it was just as tender as expected, haha. The more you chew, the more you taste the savory juices and the clean richness of the meat, and the crispy coating wasn't too thick or greasy, which let the meat's natural flavor shine. It was also noticeably bigger than gyukatsu from other brands, which was satisfying 👍 Dipping it in salt or the gyukatsu sauce is great, but I topped mine with wasabi to cut the richness and bring out more flavor 🫣

Japanese-style curry topped with king prawns and a soft-boiled egg

We also had the Japanese-style curry we ordered alongside, topped with two king prawns and a soft fried egg. The curry occasionally cut through the richness that could otherwise feel a bit heavy. Not gonna lie — that's partly why I kept going back for more gyukatsu 😎

The rice comes in an insulated pot

One of the most memorable moments at Ichigyu was that the rice isn't just served in a single bowl — it comes in a separate insulated container. When eating gyukatsu slowly, the rice often goes cold too quickly, which is always a bit disappointing, but here it stayed warm, and I felt like that thoughtfulness toward customers was baked right into the pot :) The rice stayed warm until we finished the meal, and the portion was generous enough to leave us full 👍

The vintage Japanese posters, wood-toned furniture, and cute little props scattered throughout reminded me of a small home-style restaurant in Japan itself. Ugh, I really want to go to Tokyo... 🥹 I should really renew my passport. Actually, I need to get a passport photo taken first. A million promises to myself.

The open kitchen let us watch the food being prepared, which was nice, and the clean, tidy atmosphere made for a comfortable meal from start to finish 🙇‍♀️ I think I'd come back here solo too whenever I'm craving a hearty meal near Sinnonhyeon. Thanks for the food, yum yum 🫣